[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Ajay Mitchell
Frame: 6’4”, 180 lbs
Position: Guard
School: UCSB
Year: Junior
2024 Draft Age: 22
Stats via sports-reference.com

Offense

Mitchell brings a lot of consistency and versatility to the offensive end. As a scorer, he does much of his damage inside the arc. Mitchell is third in the Big West Conference in two-point field goals made and fifth in free throw attempts. He can knock down pull-ups and stepbacks at an elite level all over the midrange, and once he gets into a rhythm, it is difficult to slow him down. 

He is very aggressive taking the ball to the basket and puts up 6.1 free throw attempts per game. Mitchell attacks with patience and has fundamental footwork that allows him to score at a high level around the basket, even without elite athleticism or explosiveness. He embraces contact and can finish at difficult angles using both hands.  Mitchell doesn’t play above the ram, lacking a notable vertical that can lead to struggles scoring off cuts or facing multiple defenders at the rim. 

Behind the arc, Mitchell seems to be finding his groove in his third collegiate season. He is up to 38.9 percent on the season which is much improved over his first two seasons of college ball, however this is on low volume. Mitchell only takes 3.3 attempts per game from deep, which is less than 25 percent of his total shots. While Mitchell makes them consistently, he doesn’t look as comfortable or confident from three as he does from two-point range, but this should change as he continues to get more reps and see more go in.

Mitchell’s ballhandling has much space to grow in creativity and variation. He doesn’t beat defenders with elite combo moves, but he boasts a tight crossover with sharp timing that allows him to create space for a pullup at the elbow or get the step on his defender for the blow-by. 

Mitchell’s playmaking is a very underrated aspect of his game. He is the primary ballhandler for UCSB, and although he is one of the top scorers in the Big West conference, he is still putting up 3.9 assists per game. He loves to keep the ball moving and get it inside the paint and consistently finds cutters. Mitchell plays very calmly, rarely gets caught in tunnel vision, and always seems to make the right play with the ball.

Defense

Mitchell plays a very fundamental style of defense. As an on-ball defender, he is very focused on the ballhandler’s next move and has great instincts and awareness, which allow him to consistently stay one step ahead. He is not an elite lateral athlete, and while his ability to stay one step ahead helps balance this out, he is susceptible to getting beat by quicker guards off the dribble. 

He’s smart off the ball, times his rotations well, knows when to help and is always hustling to recover. He may not stand out as a flashy defender with jaw-dropping blocks or unforeseen leaps through the passing lane, but he makes many good decisions and works very hard.

Overall, Mitchell gives you a solid all-around effort on this end. He always boxes out, plays bigger than his frame suggests when needing to defend the post, and never takes a play off. Given that he is one of the most utilized offensive players in Division-1 basketball, this shows how much care he puts into winning rather than individual performance and this is a massive green flag for him as a prospect.

Looking Ahead

Mitchell currently projects as an early second-round pick. Throughout his three years at UCSB, he has played a significant role on the court. If he can keep his motor up and adapt to a minimized role, he should have no problem adjusting to the NBA. 

While he has many necessary skills to run an NBA team’s second unit immediately, he will likely spend some time in the G League first to get used to the faster pace of play.

Mitchell’s unselfish play, ability to score at all three levels, and overall fundamental approach to the game are similar to that of another lefty guard, Goran Dragic. While Mitchell’s relatively underwhelming athleticism may limit his ceiling, his strong character, high IQ play, and work ethic will undoubtedly raise his floor and could help him stick around the NBA for a long time.